travel

Awards for excellence in tourism

The second successive Presidential Awards for Travel and Tourism was held on January 26, 2009, at BMICH, Colombo, with the participation of a distinguished gathering of industry personnel.

The Chief Guest of the awards ceremony, Prime Minister Rathnasiri Wickramanayake, was accompanied by the Minister of Tourism, Milinda Moragoda, Deputy Minister of Tourism, Faiszer Musthapha, Member of Parliament Arjuna Ranathunga and the organising committee.

Continuing on the success of the inaugural Travel and Tourism Awards held last year, the Ministry of Tourism, in partnership with Sri Lanka Tourism, organised the Presidential Awards for Travel and Tourism 2008.

A much awaited event by the tourism industry, the Presidential Awards for Travel and Tourism aims to recognise and reward excellence among industry stakeholders and encourage their contribution for the sustainable development of the industry.

Minister of Tourism, Milinda Moragoda identified the need to award the tourism sector for its contribution, as there was no award scheme prior to this. Today, the awards are recognised as the highest accolade for individuals and organisations whose outstanding contributions play a significant role in the success of the Sri Lankan travel and tourism industry.

The award categories constitute 11 specific areas identified by the Organising Committee, and the awards scheme is overlooked by an Advisory Council and an Executive Committee. Evaluations and selections of award winners were carried out by an independent panel of judges chaired by Marketing and Management Consultant Nalin Attygalle.

The awards are positioned to include the formal and informal sectors, provincial administrators, as well as domestic and international tourism operations.

Training in Hospitality Management venture by Mount Lavinia Hotel

The Board of Investment (BOI) of Sri Lanka granted investment approval to establish a Vocational and Technical Training Institute in Mount Lavinia. Chairman/Director General Dhammika Perera, signed the agreement on behalf of the BOI and presented the BOI Certificate of Registration to Sanath Ukwatte, Chairman/Managing Director, Mount Lavinia Hotel.

With 200 years of experience combined with a desire to grow and evolve, the Mount Lavinia Hotel, has ventured into Training and Development.

The International College of Education, also known as ICE managed by the Mount Lavinia Hotel will introduce Tourism and Hospitality diplomas linked with TAFE colleges in New South Wales through the Hunter Institute in Sydney, Australia.

Technical Education in Australia dates back to 1883 and today TAFE (Technical and Further Education) is known as the largest Vocational Training body in Australia. TAFE offers many specialised diplomas and advanced diplomas, out of which Hospitality and Management is one of their renowned programs recognised all over the world.

“Centre for Learning”, is the registered training organisation in Sri Lanka for the Hunter Institute TAFE in New South Wales, Australia. They plan to deliver training programs in Hospitality, Business Management and Information Technology in Sri Lanka. The Mount Lavinia Hotel will be working with the Centre to deliver TAFE programs in Hospitality.

International College of Education’s prime aim is to develop young people in different aspects of Hospitality and Hotel Management. The accredited courses offered would be Commercial Cookery (certificate 3), Pastry and Bakery (certificate 3), and Diploma in Hospitality and Tourism Management.

These courses will be delivered by well known lecturers of the hospitality industry who would be TAFE certified. The Hotel School would be using the latest techniques in training methology and equipment with a comfortable environment for the students to enjoy their learning experience.

ICE is also planning to arrange Practical Training for their students in hotels overseas. The ICE in addition to imparting technical skills will also develop young people in their personality and employability skills to ensure that they are prepared to face the challenges of the world and become assets to society.

Ruwan Punchihewa, the principal of the school is a senior member of the Hotel Industry in Sri Lanka with wide experience in Training and Development in the industry. He heads the faculty of eminent hoteliers to ensure that the highest quality training is provided at the ICE.

The college will be opened in February 2009, and will accommodate 140 students. ICE will provide the ideal opportunity for young people to learn and be professional in the industry. The students will acquire confidence and the knowhow to hold responsible positions in the hospitality industry anywhere in the world.

Cake Cards for Valentine’s Day

This Valentine’s Day, the Cinnamon Grand introduces a novel way to express your feelings to the ones you care the most: Cake Cards. At the heart of one of these dainty card sized cakes is a simple emotion, surrounded by layers of creamy, delicious cake.

The Cake Cards concept is, quite simply, for everyone and anyone. Want to show how much you really love them? Our Love selection consists of fourteen charming cake cards which will leave a lasting impression of a loving gift.

The age old Valentine’s Day tradition of gift-giving is now a novel gesture, in a most affordable package. The Cake Cards combine stunning handmade symbols of love, such as hearts, teddy bears, love birds and more, with witty or sentimental text allowing patrons to choose the perfect card for just about any setting.

“This concept of card sized cakes is the latest brainchild of the team that brought you The Cake Menu,” said General Manager Rohan Karr. “With Cake Cards, we aim to give customers a unique way to express themselves to their loved ones, while retaining the delightfully fresh and whimsical personality of our Cake products.”

Cake Cards is everything the heart yearns to say, sealed in a stylish envelope, ready to enchant and amaze. Encapsulated in the envelope is a beautifully crafted box which boasts a dedicated space for a personalised note!

Home delivery can be arranged for a more personalised feel and a cake display will commence at the Lobby on February 11.

Sometimes words just aren’t enough. That’s where Cake Cards come in! Preorder or drop by to place an order from the 11th of February to the 14th of February.

28 children awarded scholarships

SriLankan Airlines presented scholarships and awards to children of its employees who performed best at the last Year 5 Scholarship Examination, in keeping with the National Carrier’s corporate commitment towards uplifting the education of children throughout the country.

A total of 28 children who passed the exam - 14 boys and 14 girls - were presented cash awards and gift packs by the SriLankan Airlines Staff Welfare Society, at a ceremony in Katunayake recently.

The top four students received scholarships of financial support for their education for the entirety of their school careers.